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'Making a real difference'

Kaylee Clark, left, is one of two recipients of the Peer Leadership Award, while Katie Ahlin and Katie Deakon received the Brian Yealland Community Leadership Award. (University Communications)

Four Queen’s University students are being recognized for their outstanding leadership on campus and in the Kingston community.

The 2015 Brian Yealland Community Leadership Award and the Peer Leadership Award were presented on Thursday at a reception to recognize student contributions to their peers and members of the community.

“Students volunteer and work in many capacities across campus and beyond,” says Ann Tierney, Vice-Provost and Dean of Student Affairs. “They are engaged in their faculties, schools and departments; they work in student services, in student governments, with clubs and teams, and with community groups and organizations. Their contributions, on campus and off, make a real difference in the lives of other students and members of the Kingston community.”

Katie Ahlin and Katie Deakon received the Brian Yealland Community Leadership Award, named in honour of former Queen’s Chaplain, Rev. Brian Yealland.

Ms. Ahlin (ConEd’16) has volunteered as a math tutor for the last three years with Kingston Community Health Centres’ Pathways to Education program and also tutors a student through the Wasa-Nabin program at the Metis Nation of Ontario. She is also a director of Camp Outlook, a charity started by a Queen’s student, that takes youth-at-risk on camping trips in Algonquin Park.

For the past four years, Ms. Deakon (Artsci’13, Law’16) has volunteered as a Rebound coach with the Kingston Youth Diversion’s Rebound program, teaching life-skills to at-risk teens. In 2014 she received Kingston Youth Diversion’s ‘volunteer of the year’ award.

Representatives of Pathways and Youth Diversion spoke at the presentation about the value that Queen’s students bring to their organizations.

The Peer Leadership Award, which recognizes excellence in peer-to-peer assistance, education and outreach through involvement in university programs and services, was presented to Emma Dargie and Kaylee Clark.

Ms. Dargie (Artsci’09, MA’11) is a PhD candidate in the Department of Psychology and for the past seven years has volunteered with the Peer Mentor program in Health, Counselling and Disability Services. The program matches trained mentors with students to help them develop effective time management, study and coping skills as well as strategies to promote academic and personal success. Ms. Dargie also worked with program director Liz Racine to develop a Peer Helpers program at the Four Directions Aboriginal Student Centre.

Ms. Clark (ConEd’16) has held multiple leadership positions in several programs on campus during her time at Queen’s. She is currently a residence don in Harkness Hall, and she guides 35 student volunteers who run the Campus Observation Room, the university’s harm-reduction detox centre in Victoria Hall. She is also been mentoring first-year students in the Bounce Back program this term. In past years, she has been involved in leading Queen’s Reads, and Summer Orientation to Academics and Resources (SOAR).

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